Overview & Reviews

Buick has been on the upswing the past few years, introducing new models that are much more desirable than its mediocre past products. The Buick Enclave was one of the first vehicles to point Buick in the right direction.

The Enclave shares a platform with GM's latest group of large crossovers and features an upscale interior, a powerful 3.6-liter V6 and plenty of room for both passengers and cargo. If you're looking for a new or used large luxury crossover SUV with a number of family-friendly features -- such as a roomy cabin with easily accessed and adult-friendly third-row seats -- the Enclave is one of the better choices available.

Current Buick Enclave
The Buick Enclave is a full-size crossover SUV powered by a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic and front-wheel drive are standard. All-wheel drive is optional.

There are three trim levels: Convenience, Leather and Premium, all with standard seven-passenger seating. An available second-row bench seat increases capacity to eight.

The Enclave with Convenience Group comes with 18-inch wheels, xenon headlights, a power liftgate, tri-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone app integration and OnStar. The Leather Group adds 19-inch wheels, a blind-spot warning system, rear cross-traffic alert, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power passenger seat and driver memory settings. The Premium trim level features lane-departure and forward collision warning systems, active headlights, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, ventilated front seats and a 10-speaker Bose audio system. Option highlights include 20-inch wheels, a navigation system, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and a dual-panel sunroof.

In reviews, we've praised the Enclave's spacious and pleasant interior, with its gently curving dash, rich-looking wood-grain inlays and soft, double-stitched leather. Adding interest are a Tiffany-style analog clock and aqua blue instrumentation. Access to the third row is excellent, with second-row seats that tilt and slide out of the way, and there are a useful 23 cubic feet of space behind the upright third-row seat. Folding down both rows yields a class-leading 115 cubic feet of cargo space. If you need more space for people or cargo, you won't find it in another crossover.

The Buick Enclave's V6 provides quick acceleration, along with a mildly sporty exhaust note. The six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly. On the highway, the Enclave is quiet and smooth-riding, though some buyers may find that the optional 20-inch wheels degrade the ride noticeably. Overall handling is competent and predictable, though not necessarily the equal of its more driver-oriented (or smaller) rivals.

Used Buick Enclave Models
The Buick Enclave debuted for the 2008 model year and overall, any used Enclave will be a solid choice for an upscale, family-friendly crossover SUV.

In its first year, the V6 had a lower output of 275 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque. The following year welcomed the direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 (power increased to 288 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque) as well as other upgrades that included Bluetooth connectivity and a traffic feature for the navigation system. Until 2010, there were just two trim levels – base CX and luxury CXL. Also, for the first two model years the transmission could be lazy to downshift due to its fuel-economy-biased programming. For 2010, the transmission was reprogrammed for quicker response. Additionally, Enclaves from 2008-'12 have slightly different exterior styling than the current model as well as some lower-quality switchgear.

The Enclave's current, more descriptive trim levels of base, Convenience, Leather and Premium arrived for 2012. Two years later saw the addition of the lane departure and forward collision warning systems.

User Reviews:

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  Luxury at Value - 2014 Buick Enclave
  By ugnaut - August 23 - 10:32 am

  We went looking for crossovers we first looked at mid-small size ones. The big issue for my wife was comfortable seats and a little luxury if you drive a lot of miles. Its hard to find in the 20-30 range. We actually like the Encore but that was about 30 with the leather package with no deals. We looked at higher price/luxury cars from Acura, Audi, BMW, etc.. We ended up with Leather package Enclave at around 40k after discounts, rebates. We didnt want to pay 50K+ for name only, the Buick was a nice middle ground between luxury and value. We ignored features such as Nav and more electronics which everybody always complains about on most brands, besides the Iphone works as well. See favs.

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  Cheap Plastic - 2013 Buick Enclave
  By mrkj1 - July 10 - 11:14 am

  Traded my 2011 Cadillac SRX Performance model Seats were to hard and harsh ride. Found seats and ride in Buick put Cadillac to shame. Much more solid on road. Handling is excellent. But for $53,000 list price. The cheap plastic decor inside this car makes it really look cheap and poor quality I am not sure I would purchase it again.

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  Front Collision Alert: Useless - 2014 Buick Enclave
  By ckaushal - July 7 - 6:07 pm

  Overall the car is great but the FCA system is useless. Drove the car for 3 days and intentially testing this feature in (Far) mode, it did not beep even when i was within 10 feets at 55MPH.I called Buick customer service and they were useless and just asked me to call the dealer. The result of the conversation with dealer was the beep may still work but only when you are super close to the car in front OR in other words the whole beeping feature is useless as you will probably hit the car in front even if the FCA system beeps. The display indicator did work (turned orange/amber color) at around 10 feet (in far mode), but without a beep its useless.Bad advertising from BUICK on a 50K car.

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  $ 48,000.00 Mistake - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By jasongr - May 19 - 10:46 am

  We purchased our 2008 Buick Enclave in late 2007. It was My wifes dream vehicle until the problems began i.e. Sunroof leaking,trans slipping,rattlle in rear drivers side,liftgate opens on its own,service airbags light on twice, traction contol light on twice, reduced power on the highway three times,steering wheel rubbing noise,service stability light on,left front stabilizer is loose,air conditioning has been serviced twice for leaking and noise,front shocks replaced,brake rubbing noise,power steering pump leaking,front timing cover gasket leaking,right rear door weather stripping coming loose,noise while driving 50-60 mph on highway.washer heater causes fires, Dont buy this vehicle!

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  Good MPG for its size - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By kb5868 - May 13 - 9:52 am

  I bought a 2011 Enclave with only 20k miles after my lease was up on my 2012 Infiniti EX35. My Enclave gets a consistent 17 mpg in town compared to 15 mpg for the EX. It is easily twice the size of the Infiniti, the primary reason for not getting another EX lease - no one could fit in the back seat! So, for a vehicle that is nearly as large as my Yukon Denali, Im fairly impressed with the gas mileage. everyone has their opinions, but I was puzzled by all the comments about how 2-3 mpg was bankrupting people that bought $45k cars and were considering $60k cars with better MPG to make up the difference. Different econ class than I had in high school I guess...LOL!

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  No cell phones in Front Seat - 2012 Buick Enclave
  By mspeach789 - March 27 - 10:56 am

  The seat belt alarm keeps going off in my 2012 Enclave. The dealer gave me a service notice ID 3120743/ 08-09-41-0071. This states that any electronic device in the front seat or audio cords or large drinks will cause the seat belt alarm to ping. This is NOT TO BE REPAIRED. If you want a cell phone, iPad or audio cord in the front you have to click the seat belt. GM can not give me any assurance that with said interference the air bags will deploy. GM Customer Service stated "The Vehicle is designed to do that" REALLY? I dont think so. They inadequately shielded the module and now dont want to fix it.

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  No Longer Own Ours... Buyer Beware!!! - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By sfreid1 - March 15 - 1:09 pm

  When the Enclave is working properly, it is an excellent car. Quiet, comfortable, and fairly powerful for an SUV. However, there was rarely a time where everything was in proper working order. Our first major issue was the entire throttle body going out, which also caused the entire electrical system to crash, leaving us stranded on the side of a busy road, partially blocking traffic. This experience also gave us a chance to try out Onstar, which was worthless. The hazards also drained the battery after one hour, so they didnt work. After that, buttons snapped off, brakes needed replacement, transmission, and power steering prob. We just bought a fully loaded 2014 Infiniti QX60 and love it!

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  Luxurious, but Nav system needs work. - 2014 Buick Enclave
  By enclaveguy - March 10 - 6:37 pm

  This is my 2nd Enclave. My first was in ’08, the introduction year. Ive loved it since. I have the 2014 model & its equally as nice with more bells & whistles. Overall, I would rate the Enclave as excellent. Its quality and luxury at a fairly affordable price. The Enclave is a heavy vehicle, so the power on the 2008 model seemed to be lacking, but the 2014 seems to have more power to get up to speed on the freeway. The interior color options seem to be lacking however, kind of funky for my tastes and I am not in love with the fake plastic "wood" trim inside. Buick missed the design mark on this. The navigation system leaves a lot to be desired as it is not very intuitive.

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  Excelent Luxury Family SUV - 2014 Buick Enclave
  By bshapiro1 - March 9 - 4:26 pm

  Loving our Enclave. Is exactly what we expected. The interior is large and comfortable. There is ample space in all three rows for adults to sit comfortably. Ride is smooth and quiet. Definately feels like top quality craftmanship. Handels well for a vehicle of its size. The blutooth connection for phones is great and we can easily stream music.

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  Enclave Woes! - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By vsabre - February 26 - 10:23 am

  I purchased my 2009 Enclave in 2012 and in the first year I owned it, I have had the following problems: 1. Timing Chain, 2. Water pump, 3. Front Struts, 4. Rack and Pinion, 5. Power Steering Pump, 6. Engine Mount, 7. Washer fluid pump and 8 Transmission. And since the car never goes more than one week without a check engine light coming on (which disables the remote start), the remote start is not available most of the time. Other than that, I love the car.